Eilat · Israel · Reef · Wall
Japanese Gardens
Coral canyons to 16 m, then a wall that keeps dropping
Area photo: Yonatan Dodin · CC BY 4.0
The southern end of the Eilat reserve, where isolated coral heads gather into a wall. The shallow half is a labyrinth of canyons and small backwaters down to 16 m; below that the wall keeps dropping, and the site's maximum depth is 60 m. Access is controlled by the reserve authority, dives run from boats and platforms, and no more than 32 divers a day are allowed on it.
Where it is and how deep
29.4946° N, 34.9080° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The shallow section runs from about 8 m to 16 m as a maze of canyons and small backwaters cut into the coral, a twisting swim rather than a straight line along a reef. Table corals spread over the tops of the heads, needlefish hold near the surface and unicornfish work the coral faces. Open Water divers can spend a whole dive in this half of the site without ever leaving the labyrinth.
Where the isolated corals gather together the ground turns into a continuous wall, beginning at 16 m and dropping past recreational limits to the site's maximum of 60 m. That edge is where the traffic is: jacks and barracuda run the open water off the wall, whitetip reef sharks patrol along it and moray eels sit back in the coral. Turn the dive on the wall and return through the canyons into shallow water.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Barracuda
- Reef sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good |
Season follows Eilat: Divable all year; Mar–May and Sep–Nov are most comfortable, while July and August are extremely hot on the surface.
Know before you go
- The site is capped at 32 divers a day and entry is controlled by the reserve, so book through a centre rather than turning up.
- Swimming out from the reserve entrance takes more than 20 minutes each way, which leaves little of the dive for the site itself.
Dive videos
JAPANESE GARDENS EILAT 2012 YAHALAT TEC DIVE · Leon RTD on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can Open Water divers dive the Japanese Gardens?+
Yes, on the shallow section: a run of canyons and backwaters with a maximum depth of 16 m. The wall below starts at 16 m and drops to 60 m, which is beyond recreational training.
How do you get to the Japanese Gardens?+
Most divers go by boat or from the dedicated platforms, run under reserve control with a daily cap of 32 divers. You can also swim south from the reserve entrance, but that takes more than 20 minutes each way.
Sources
- Japanese Gardens - Diving in Red Sea Eilat, Israel — Wannadive
- Japanese Gardens in Israel, Red Sea Eilat — Zentacle
- All the Best Sites for Diving in Eilat — Abraham Hostels
In The Logbook
- The best shore dives in the worldShore diving · 8 min read
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